Ventilation controlling device for chick boxes



Nov. 21, 1950 H. J. KNEUBUEHL VENTILATION CONTROLLING DEVICE FOR CHICKBOXES Filed Aug. 10

INVENTOR.

' [gelmm J/iheubuelzl ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 21, 1950 UNITED STATES?ATENT. OFFICE VENTILATIGN CONTROLLING DEVICE FOR CHICK BOXES Claims.

The invention relates to boxes for transporting baby chicks, and moreparticularly to means for controlling the ventilation of such boxes.

It is common practice to ship baby chicks by rail, truck or the like, inboxes formed of corrugated paper board or similar material. These boxesare ordinarily made of sufficient size to hold a hundred chicks and aregenerally divided by partitions into four equal compartments, each ofwhich contains one-fourth of the chicks in the entire box.

These boxes are provided with openings in the outer end walls of eachcompartment, so as to provide sufficient air to prevent the chicks fromsmothering, and openings are also usually provided in the cover or lidfor the box.

t frequently happens, during the transportaticn of chicks in such boxes,that in loading or unloading the same they may remain outdoors for l.

When chicks, shipped in such boxes, become cold they huddle togetheragainst the inner partition walls in an effort to get away from the coldair entering through the openings in the end walls.

The present invention contemplates the provision of means operated bythis movement of the chicks within the box for controlling theventilation thereof.

It is an object of the invention to provide a chick box, of the generalcharacter above referred to, having means therein, adapted to beoperated by the movement of the chicks toward the inner partition wallsof the box, for closing off the openings in the end walls so as toprevent cold air from entering therethrough.

Another 'object is to provide means operated by the movement of thechicks toward the partition walls for closing the openings in the lid orcover of the box.

A further object is to provide a chick box of the character referred tohaving a platform fulcrumed upon the bottom of each compartment andprovided with means for closing the openings in the end walls when theplatform is tilted by the movement of the chicks thereon toward thepartition walls.

A'still further object is the provision of such a chick box in which thetilting of the platform in this direction will close the openings in thelid or cover of the box.

The above objects together with others which will be apparent from thedrawing and following description, or which may be later referred to,may be attained by the construction hereinafter described in detail andillustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which;

Figure l is a top plan View, with the lid or cover removed, of onecomplete compartment, and fragmentary portions of the other threecompartments, of a chick box embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 a vertical, sectional view through one compartment of the box,with the lid or cover thereon, showing the improved ventilationcontrolling means in the normal or open position;

Fig. 3 a view similar to Fig. 2 showing the ventilating means in theoperated or closed position; and

Fig. 4 a fragmentary, vertical, sectional view through the outer endportion of one compartment of the box, showing a modified form ofventilating device in the lid or cover of the box.

The chick box, in which the improved ventilating controlling mechanismis located, may be of usual and ordinary construction comprising thebottom wall it, side walls H and end walls 12 having ventilatingopenings i3 therein.

The usual partition walls M are located in the box, dividing it intofour equal compartments, one complete compartment being indicated at Aand portions of the other three compartments being indicated at B, C andD.

The usual cover or lid [5 is provided for the box, having the dependingrim flange [6 for engaging over the upper portions of the side and endwalls of the box. If desired, the cover or lid may have ventilatingopenings I1 therein located over each of the four compartments of thebox.

This much of the box is of conventional construction and no claim ismade thereto excepting in combination with the ventilation controllingmechanism which will be later described.

The mechanism for controlling the ventilation of the box includes aplatform I8, formed of corrugated paper board or other suitablematerial, located in the bottom of each compartment of the box andfulcrumed thereon, intermediate its ends, so that the platform may rockfrom the position shown in Fig. 2 to that shown in Fig. 3.

To provide the fulcrum for the platform a reinforcing strip 19,extending transversely of the platform, may be glued or otherwiseattached to the under side of the platform and one or more relativelynarrow strips 20, also of corrugated paper board or the like, may beglued or otherwise attached to the under side of the strip [9,preferably at a point closer to the inner end of the compartment than tothe outer end thereof, as best shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

For the purpose of preventing the platform from being longitudinalydisplaced within the compartment, tacks, small nails, staples or thelike, as indicated at 2 I, may project through the underside of eachfulcrum strip 26 so as to penetrate the bottom wall IQ of the box.

An upright flap 22 is formed at the outer end of each platform [8, beinglocated against the in ner side of the end wall I2, as best shown inFigs. 2 and 3, and provided with openings 23 adapted to register withthe openings [3 in said end wall when the platform I8 is in the normalposition with the outer end thereof resting upon the bottom of the box,as shown in Fig. 2.

Apad of excelsior not shown or the like may be placed upon the top ofeach platform [8 if desired, in the same manner that such a pad isusually placed upon the bottom of the box within each compartment, toform a floor covering for the baby chicks.

Under normal temperature conditions the baby chicks will be spread overthe entire area of each platform, and since the fulcrum for the platformis locatedoif center toward the inner end thereof, the greater weight onthe platform will be on the outer side of the fulcrum so that theplatform will be normally located in the position shown in 2, with theopenings 23 in the flap 22 registering with the openings l3 in the endwall of the box so that air may freely pass therethrough.

In the event that the air passing through these openings is too cold forthe chicks, they will crowdtogether at .the inner end of he platformcausing the same to rock to the position shown in Fig. 3, theflap 22being slidably mooved upward adjacent the inner side of the end wall 12,so that the openings 23 in the flap are moved out of alignment with theopenings iii in the end wall, asshown in Fig. 3, substantially closingthe openings l3 and preventing the cold air from the outside frompassing therethrough into the box.

When the chicks become sufficiently warm they will again spread out overthe entire area of the platform, causing it to rock back to the positionshown in Fig. 2 so that air may again freely pass through the openingsl3.

If it is desired to provide openings such as shown at H, in the lidorcover of the box, means may be provided for closing these openingssimultaneously with the closing of the openings [3 in the end wall.

For this purpose a sheet 2% of corrugated paper board or the like,covering substantially the area of the lid or cover over eachcompartment, is connected at its inner end to the under side of thecover, as by staples or the like indicated at 25, and normally inclineddownwardly therefrom as shown in Fig. 2.

This sheet 2 3.15 provided with a plurality of openings 26, staggeredrelative to the openings il' in the lid or cover. The outer, free end ofthe perforate sheet 24 may rest upon the inturned flange 2! fixed to orformed upon the upper end of the flap 22.

When the platform I 8 is tilted to the closed position shown in Fig. 3,shutting off the openings IS in the end wallof the box, the upwardmovement of the flap 22. will, through theinturned flange 2.7 thereon,move the free end of the sheet 24 upward, into substantial contact withthe under side of the lid or cover, as shown in Fig. 3, so that theopenings I! in the lid as well as the openings l 3 in the end wall ofthe box are simultaneously closed.

In Fig. 4 is shown a slight modification of the ventilation in the lidor cover. The'box and the platform with the associated parts may all beof the same construction as shown in Figs. 1 to 3, and the samereference numerals are applied thereto.

The lid or cover i5a however is slightly different in that instead ofhaving perforations therein, a large opening 28 may be formed of cuttinga flap 23 therefrom and bending the free end thereof downward intocontact with the flange 21 upon the upper end of the flap 22.

The flap 29 may be normally held in the position shown in Fig. 4 by anysuitable insert between the same and the lid, such as an ear out fromthe lid and turned down and out over the edge of the flap 23 asindicated at 33.

With the parts in the position shown in Fig. 4, air may freely enterthrough the openings E3 in the end wall.and through the large opening28in the lid or cover. When the platform is tilted so as to raise theouter end thereof and move the flap 22 thereon upward to close theopenings l3, the flap 29 will be moved up to the opening 28,substantially closing the same.

From the above it will be obvious that a simple and inexpensivemechanism is provided for controlling the ventilation of a chick box bythe natural movements of the chicks, so that as the chicks becomecoldthey will automatically close the ventilating openings in the box byhuddling together at the inner end of the compartment, and as theybecome too warm they will automatically open the ventilating openings byspreading out over the entire area of the compartment.

I claim:

1. In a chick box having a bottom, side walls andperforate end walls,and partitions dividing the interior of the box into compartments, aplatform fulcrumed-intermediate its ends upon the bottom of eachcompartment and an upright flap at the outer end of the platform havingopenings therein arranged to register with the openings in the end wallwhen the outer end of the platform is tilted down and to be moved out ofalignment when the plattform is tilted in the opposite direction.

2. In a chick box having a bottom, side walls and perforate endwalls,and partitions dividing the interior of the box into compartments, aplatform fulcrumed intermediate its ends upon the bottom of eachcompartment, the fulcrum being at a point closer to the inner end of theplatform than to the outer end thereof, and an upright flap at the outerend of the platform having openings therein arranged to register withthe openings in the end wall when the outer end of the platform istilted down and to be moved out of alignment when the platform is.tilted in the opposite direction.

3. In a chick box having arbottom, side walls and perforate end walls,and partitions dividing the interior of the box into compartments, 2.platform fulcrumed intermediate its ends upon the bottom of eachcompartment, means preventing longitudinal movement of the platformwithin the compartment, and an upright flap at the outer end of theplatform having openings therein arranged to register with the openingsin the end'wall when the outer, end of the platform is tilted down andto be moved'out of align- 5 ment when the platform is tilted in theopposite direction.

4. In a chick box having a bottom, side walls and perforate end walls,and a perforate cover, and partitions dividing the interior of the boxinto compartments, a platform fulcrumed intermediate its ends upon thebottom of each compartment and an upright flap at the outer end of theplatform having openings therein arranged to register with the openingsin the end wall when the outer end of the platform is tilted down and tobe moved out of alignment when the platform is tilted in the oppositedirection, and.

means for closing the perforate cover when the platform is tilted insaid opposite direction.

5. In a chick, box having a bottom, side walls, perforate end Walls anda perforate cover, and partitions dividing the interior of the box intocompartments, a platform fulcrumed intermediate its ends upon the bottomof each compartment, an upright flap at the outer end of the platformhaving openings therein arranged to register with the openings in theend wall when the outer end of the platform is tilted down and to bemoved out of alignment when the platform is tilted in the oppositedirection, and a sheet within each compartment connected at its innerend to the under side of the cover and having its outer free end restingupon the top of said flap for closing the perforate cover when theplatform is tilted in said opposite direction.

6. In a chick box having a bottom, side Walls, perforate end walls and aperforate cover, and partitions dividing the interior of the box intocompartments, a platform fulcrumed intermediate its ends upon the bottomof each compartment, an upright flap at the outer end of the platformhaving an inturned flange at its upper end, and having openings thereinarranged to register with the openings in the end wall when the outerend of the platform is tilted down and to be moved out of alignment whenthe platform is tilted in the opposite direction, and a sheet withineach compartment connected at its inner end to the under side of thecover and having its outer free end resting upon the flange at the topof said flap for closing the perforate cover when the platform is tiltedin said opposite direction.

7. In a chick box having a bottom, side walls, perforate end Walls and aperforate cover, and partitions dividing the interior of the box intocompartments, a platform fnlcrumed intermediate its ends upon the bottomof each compartment, an upright flap at the outer end of the platformhaving openings therein arranged to register with the openings in theend wall when the outer end of the platform is tilted down and to bemoved out of alignment when the platform is tilted in the oppositedirection, and a perforate sheet within each compartment connected atits inner end to the under side of the cover and. having its outer freeend resting upon the top of said flap for closing the perforate coverwhen the platform is tilted in said opposite direction.

8. In a chick box having a bottom, side walls, perforate end Walls and aperforate cover, and partitions dividing the interior of the box intocompartments, a platform fulcrumed intermediate its ends upon the bottomof each compartment, an upright flap at the outer end of the platformhaving an inturned flange at its upper end, and having openings thereinarranged to register with the openings in the end Wall when the outerend of the platform is tilted down and to be moved out of alignment whenthe platform is tilted in the opposite direction, and a perforate sheetwithin each compartment connected at its inner end to the under side ofthe cover and having its outer free end resting upon the flange at thetop of said flap for closing the perforate cover when the platform istilted in said opposite direction.

9. In a chick box having a bottom, side walls and a perforate cover, aplatform fulcrumed intermediate its ends upon the bottom of the box,

, an upright flap at one end of the platform, a

No references cited.

